


Chances

by Yeomanrand



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: 100-1000 Words, Community: where_no_woman, Multi, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-22
Updated: 2010-03-22
Packaged: 2017-10-08 05:58:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeomanrand/pseuds/Yeomanrand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the  <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/where_no_woman/93479.html">March 15 Drabblefest</a> prompt #10:  <i>'The only safe thing is to take a chance.' </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Chances

**Author's Note:**

> No beta on this one; concrit welcome.

Janice Rand doesn't run away from home. Running implies fear, or anger, the desire to _get away_. For her, leaving isn't about any of those things. And she's not chasing anything, either.

If anyone had asked her, the day she slung a bag holding five changes of clothing, one extra pair of shoes, and her art supplies over her shoulder and walked out the door of her parents' house, she would have told them she'd made a reasoned decision. She was fifteen, able to take care of herself, and felt too sheltered. She was ready to take a chance on what the world might show her.

But no one asks. She's relieved; explanations leave room for argument.

~~~

She works her way across America, occasionally sending postcards home so they have some idea where she is. By the time she reaches Arizona, she's seventeen and she's taken chances on a lot of things. Construction. Waiting Tables. Cooking. Phone operator. Coat check, in an odd little theater that still had a coat room, and backdrop painter. Zookeeper's assistant. She thinks only the last job was honest about the amount of shit she'd have to deal with.

She's been propositioned enough times she's lost count. She hasn't taken anyone up on their offer, yet, and the one guy who pushes too far has a greater respect for small blond women when she leaves him with the police.

She has three older brothers, and a younger sister. She knows how not to freeze up when challenged or threatened.

~~~

She's eighteen and helping manage a consignment shop when she meets Alan and Elizabeth. Actually, she meets Elizabeth first; Janice helps her find the perfect outfit for her dissertation defense.

"Not too powerful," Elizabeth says; Janice cocks her head at her, considering.

"Not too demure, either," she contradicts. Elizabeth laughs.

Elizabeth is a head taller than Janice, wears her hair in a close-packed Afro, black eyes sparkling more the longer they talk and shoot down various outfits. They finally settle on a navy-blue pantsuit, and Janice nips in the back of the jacket with her fingers.

"We'll need to tailor this for you," she says, firmly.

"If you'll join me for dinner," Elizabeth responds. Janice considers for a moment, watching Elizabeth watch her in the mirror, and then nods. Like leaving home, Elizabeth is a good chance to take; no matter what happens, Janice won't regret her decision.

"I have a husband," Elizabeth tells Janice when she shows for dinner. Janice finishes locking up the shop and turns to face her.

"Is this about more than dinner?"

"Maybe." Elizabeth's lips curl upward and she reaches out to take Janice's arm. "But you're probably right. We should deal with dinner first, and see how things go from there."

~~~

It does turn out to be about more than dinner; it's six months of learning things Janice didn't know about herself or other people. Alan and Elizabeth both get strangely hesitant when they realize she's a virgin, which Janice doesn't understand. She knows enough to recognize she should reassure them into going further, which they finally do. The sex isn't perfect, but they have a lot of fun.

When it -- whatever _it_ is, Janice never really puts a name to it -- when it ends, Alan suggests to Janice that she should look into Starfleet. She signs on for her first tour the next day.

But she's still not running.

~~~

Janice doesn't mean to get herself promoted to Captain's Yeoman. She's been happy serving on the ship, managing the small corner of the crew she's been assigned. Then, after shift one evening, CPO Colt asks to speak with her.

She can't imagine what she's done to deserve a dressing down. Turns out CPO Colt plans to retire at the end of this tour -- in six months -- and the ship is going to be decommissioned.

"Captain Pike will get a new ship," Colt tells her, "and he'll need someone to take my place. You're the only other person on the ship organized enough to keep him in line and in good with brass. So I'm going to spend the next six months training you, you're getting a promotion not a reward, and while you're waiting for the new ship to come online I want you to start officer's training at the Academy."

"I don't want --" Janice starts, but Colt cuts her off with a brusque hand gesture.

"You never need to finish training," she says, "but there were a number of times early on I would have been grateful to have even the basics. I imagine you've got Rules and Regs more than half-memorized already, so that part will be a breeze."

The smile she gives Janice is feral and unfriendly. "Which is good, because the rest of this is going to be anything _but_ a cakewalk."

She could tell Colt no, she doesn't want the promotion; she could refuse to re-up herself at the end of this tour.

But she doesn't want to.

Life has taught her the only safe thing, sometimes, is to take a chance.


End file.
